Understanding forecast vs. closed numbers
Why the Forecast number on a dashboard and the closed-won total can disagree — what each one measures and when to trust which.
pure bont surfaces multiple revenue numbers across Reporting and Forecasting and they don't always agree. Knowing which one answers your question avoids wasted reviews.
Closed-won
The simplest number: deals whose stage is in the Won category, summed by amount. Backward-looking, unambiguous, finance-friendly.
Forecast (Commit / Best Case)
Forward-looking. The Commit number sums deals classified as Commit (see Adjusting a deal's forecast category) plus closed-won in the same period. Best Case adds Best-Case deals on top of Commit. Both are predictions — they move as deals progress.
Pipeline
Sum of every open deal that's not Omitted. Bigger than the forecast — includes early-stage, unqualified deals. Useful for measuring overall coverage of the target.
Reading the discrepancy
- Forecast > Closed-won — normal mid-quarter; reps still expect to close the gap.
- Forecast = Closed-won — every committed deal has closed. Usually end-of-quarter.
- Forecast < Closed-won — unexpected over-performance. Often a sign that forecast categories were too conservative.